History was made at Carrick-on-Shannon when Texel breeders Ronan Gallagher, Enniscrone, Co Sligo, and Jimmy Garravin, Clew Bay, Westport, Co Mayo, staged the Christmas Belles sale, the first ever sheep sale to be held at the exhibition centre in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Staged just three days after Christmas, the sale attracted a large crowd, generating a buoyant trade for the 58 in-lamb ewes that were on offer. A rapturous round of applause broke as the first ewe went through the ring, which set the tone for the entire sale, resulting in a full clearance.
Topping the sale at €1,780 for Ronan Gallagher was a Milnbank Special 1-sired ET ewe out of the noted dam Enniscrone Pippa (the 2011 Tullamore Show and RDS champion).
She sold carrying twins to Shannagh Won-O-Won to Jonathan Higgins, Skreen, Co Sligo, to join his Avondale flock.
Next best at €1,720 was another ET Pippa/Special 1 daughter, also in-lamb to Shannagh Won-O-Won, and bought this time by Michael Dwyer, Co Roscommon.
At €1,350 was a stylish Milnbank Valdaron ewe lamb, kindly donated by Ronan Gallagher to the Northwest Hospice. The purchaser was Kieran McBarron, Co Armagh. A total of €1,650 was raised for this worthy charity.
Her dam, a Milnbank Special 1 ewe and maternal sister to Enniscrone Sensational, sold for €1,320. She was scanned in-lamb to Shannagh Won-O-Won.
At €1,050 was a daughter of Speenogue Trojan. In-lamb to Enniscrone Uncle Seán, she sold to Kate Purcell, Thomastown, Co Kilkenny.
Michael Dwyer secured his second purchase of the day, paying €1,000 for a Strathbogie Terminator daughter scanned with a single to Shannagh Won-O-Won.
New breeder Kate Purcell paid €950 for a super Knock Powerpacker ewe out of a noted Baltier Nailer dam. She sold in-lamb to Enniscrone Uncle Seán.
Next best at €900 was for a powerful ewe by Enniscrone Playboy, in lamb to Shannagh Won-O-Won. She was the pick of John Wehrly, Co Louth.
Justin McDermott, Co Cavan, secured a Strathbogie Terminator-sired ewe for €860. She was sold in-lamb to Shannagh Won-O-Won.
Two ewes traded at €800. The first selling to Jack Swift, Williamstown, Co Galway, for a Tamnamoney Preacher daughter and the second to Adam Heffernan, Killarney, Co Kerry, for an Enniscrone Playboy-sired ewe.
Jimmy Garravin, Clew Bay Texels, took home a top price of €750 for a Chessy Smirnoff ewe in-lamb to Milnbank Valdaron. She sold to Enda Quirke, Hill of Down, Co Meath.
Overall, 41 Enniscrone Texel ewes averaged €762, while the average for 17 Clew Bay Texel ewes was €623. The majority sold from €500 to €700 a head.
New Irish Angus president
John Farrell from the Dillon herd at Curraghroe, Co Roscommon, has been elected the new president of the Irish Angus Society.
John has taken over from outgoing president Micheal Cronin, Scartaglen, Killarney, Co Kerry.
John and Cathy Farrell run the Dillon Angus herd and have achieved much success at shows and sales down through the years.
John was vice-president of the society for the past two years and has been actively involved in the development of the Irish Angus youth development programme since its inception.
The new vice-president is John Appelbe, Carrigroe, Clonakilty, Co Cork.
John and his family are renowned Irish Angus breeders and are actively involved in the Munster branch of Irish Angus.
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